Breach of Contract

"Who will survive in America?"-- Gil Scott-Heron.

Kanye West included this speech at the end of his song, "Lost in The World" and that is the question that Americans should be asking due to the state of the economy. There is a rumor that the U.S. Military is even being downsized and that they are forcing those serving to take an early out or ending jobs--ironically, a lot of these jobs have gone to private contractors, which has always baffled me: construction that used to belong to Seabees.

From what I understand, those who are approaching their 20 year contract ending--which equals full retirement--have been the main target. Isn't this breach of contract? The military has been the one sector that emphasized job security and benefits. Now, they--and I am not even sure who they are--but I'm guessing they are not military are changing the agreement.

I can guess "they" are those that a lot of the conservative military types support: tea party and others who benefit from privatization of anything and everything. Due to the networks that military members form (high-ranking officials specifically) they are able to receive better paying jobs upon their exit or retirement. Isn't this a conflict of interest? Insider trading? I am too logical.

Teachers have always been paid horribly and lacked benefits but the military was--for the most part--well compensated for their work. If the traditional retirement were to end, it would be and should be treated as a breach of contract. 

Save the Middle Class

I can only speculate upon issues that plague us: humanity, domestically and internationally. I have come across others who seem indifferent and are apathetic to such salient issues that are being debated by the candidates who will possibly hold the title of President of the U.S. in 2012. One thing remains certain to me and that is war is inhumane and diplomacy is what leaders of every country must strive for.

My condolences to anyone who has lost someone in such calamities. The news reports from Afghanistan are disheartening. I have a friend serving in that country and his communication sounds very dismal. Even those who are pro-peace must take into consideration that the military members have to do their job and a lot disagree with what is being done but cannot speak out against it. They will be reprimanded if they speak out against what they are doing. This culture of silence is a possible reason for mental illness and other issues that troops are facing during deployment and on their return home. It is a sad situation for everyone and I do not voice that opinion to downplay the civilians' struggles and casualties. I would help everyone if I had the means to do so.  

Unline Mitt Romney, who believes that unemployment benefits should be privatized. I was watching Democracy Now this morning (they do an excellent job of updating their website www.democracynow.org with videos and transcripts) and Mitt Romney suggested that genius idea. I nearly chocked on my coffee. It is so easy to stigmatized those less fortunate in this economy and his suggestion was not job creation, rather privatization of unemployment benefits. America, we need a President that will create jobs. If the Middle Class continues diminishing, we will have the total collapse of the so-called "American Dream".

"Save the Middle Class" is one of my slogans for the 2012 Presidential Election. We cannot allow any candidate to bypass the issues without offering a solution by diverting our attention to the problems. The problems must be solved starting at the root.

How much do we need to know?

I wonder if the news media should broadcast blunders in military equipment. In the past, and presently, there are helicopters, ships and other equipment used by the U.S. Military that is either defective, or damaged due to preventable mistakes.

I think that it decreases the military's image of military might when, for instance, a ship is stuck in coral for over a month while in shallow water off the coast of Hawaii. This is embarrassing to the U.S. Military with such expensive equipment. It also implies incompetence. The governments in other countries may view this as a weakness. I was always told to hide my weaknesses and show my strengths.

I do not believe in military intervention, but I do believe is defense. Defense is what would be needed if North Korea were to send a missile to Hawaii, Alaska, California and other areas that it has made threats against. One must always draw the line and I think the military should, also.

I was shocked when I saw members of the U.S. Army dancing to Lady Gaga on Youtube. I believed that the Army would reprimand them for doing so, but, that is now permissible due to the popularity of social-networking sites and probably the First Amendment (whichever freedom applies to such things). I think it boosts morale and is good for relieving stress, but where will the military draw the line. I do not see North Korean members of the military doing anything beyond marching stiffly and very seriously. 

The scandal aboard the videos played on the USS Enterprise should have put an end to such humor. In my opinion, and for the protection of professionalism, there must be an end to the entertainment while in uniform. The military should also be aware that while at work, phones should not be permitted to be turned on. I have several friends who are in the military and on facebook and texting while at work. Errors will continue to be made when someone is paying closer attention to their phone than their job.

In my military--that is only used as a defense mechanism-- the media does not show the weaknesses: downed helicopters, stuck ships, and so forth; military members are not dancing to Lady Gaga and other music genres on Youtube, and phones are not allowed at work.

I always wish for peace but I am also realistic. To imagine the worst case scenario is defensive pessimism and I think it is a major component of critical thinking.

Book Review: "You Know When the Men are Gone" by Siobhan Fallon

White privilege is the first word that comes to mind when I think back on this book. A Caucasian friend of mine was unaware of this term and advantage until a college Sociology course. This friend was American but born and raised overseas. His ignorance seemed feigned but I tried to take into consideration that Third Culture Kids (TCK) and Adults perceive things very differently and this may have accounted for that ignorance.



Mrs Fallon either deliberately or unintentionally perpetuated stereotypes of foreigners, African-Americans, Arabs and other minorities that were included in her stories. I found this very boring because it detracts from some of her excellent writing. She created characters that would have stood out more had they not been stereotyped as the ex-banker Caucasian male; the hypersexual, sexist, blood-hungry African-American who was listening to gangsta rap and had run out of money for college. The teacher who was "too blond", the moody teenager and the Mexicans who spoke Chicano English.

Stereotypes are not harmless. When the African-American is disrespectful to the Iraqi woman-- using sexual innuendo-- the night stalker has a Latino surname and the mention of Arab women in abayas somehow merits a ghost comparison, there is a problem.  It is not due to the political incorrectness, it is due to depending too heavily on such trite notions of people. I wish that I could patent or copyright every stereotype in order for them to never be used again.

Despite being fiction, it had a very familiar non-fiction quality about it to me.It reminded me of the chatty husbands and wives who would inherit information from their spouses and use it as fodder to gossip about all day and spread rumors that circulate the bases. Bases are usually circulating with rumors and this book gave us glimpses into each characters' lives. 

Mrs. Fallon's dialect and descriptions were excellent. I think that a Mexican who did not speak Spanish, however, makes for a more memorable character than one who speaks in Chicano English--or even a character who is capable of code-switching in order to demonstrate that he is street and book savvy.

Also, the psychology of the characters who were not heavily stereotyped compensated for those who were. I do not mean to sound as though I did not enjoy reading this book. I did, but I am looking forward to a book where the African-American is the general; the night-stalker is the least expected, most high-ranking official on the base and the stories are completed and not just glimpses into each characters' life.

3 out of 5 stars. What are your thoughts?

The Supreme Court: Protestors are violating privacy

The Supreme Court has ruled in favor of the "religious" fanatics that insist on picketing military funerals with  hate-filled messages, desecration of the American flag, and most importantly, lack of respect for the grieving family.

The underlying message is that homophobia is tolerated under the guise of "religious" freedom as supposedly interpreted under The First Amendment's rights. It is an injustice that is institutionalized in order to perpetuate homophobia. 

I avoid speaking out against religion but what they are doing, I believe, is creating a religion to justify their actions. Their God is very foreign to me. I will not speak on behalf of anyone's God. I do not understand how these lunatics think that they can, either. These hate-mongers should do all religions a favor and speak for themselves instead of utilizing God as their puppet. They should separate themselves from every religion because such anger and hate is more consistent with evil than anything else.

Despite being heterosexual, I am hurt by their messages. Not that I have any issues with homosexuality, but how do the protesters know the troops' sexual orientation? These protesters freely use the "F" word--not the four-letter one, the hateful word for homosexuals. Such repugnant written, spoken and sung messages are equivalent to public indecency to my eyes and ears--especially my ears because not only are their songs filled with hate, they sing horribly. I would rather see nudity--at least I could close my eyes and it is natural. It is unnatural for people to have such anger and hatred displayed publicly.  I do not consider these protests peaceful. I would be terrified to walk past such hate-mongers.If it is protected under The First Amendment, I suggest they practice their rights elsewhere. They could practice it at their church, homes, and online but this behavior does not belong in public.   


Hate will eventually escalate into violence. The Supreme Court has allowed the Ku Klux Klan--well-known throughout history for burning crosses and lynchings to continue operating. I feel these groups should be regarded as terrorists and they should not be able to have protection under the law. Their ruling was a huge injustice to humanity. Do the families no longer have the right to privacy? To grieve the loss of their loved one without the noise and media distraction that the protesters are providing. Do the fallen troops have the right to rest in peace? Is it not defamation?

Isn't it against military law to desecrate the flag? That was always the impression that I was under because to this day, if I see a flag that touches the ground, or is somehow tattered, I cringe and think to myself that it is a violation of the flag. That may seem strange to civilians, but the flag is honored and requires special care and handling.  

I hope that the Supreme Court's decision is reversed. These are, in my opinion, the legal reasons why The Court should reconsider.  
     

Job creation

The unemployment papers: this blog continues. . . I was thinking about how Obama can create jobs. I thought that since we have public libraries, we can also have public gyms. Maybe I suffer from delusions of grandeur, but I find this a great idea. There is an obesity epidemic in the U.S. and this could help target it. Some people cannot afford gyms. Every military base that I have ever been on has a gym--some have several gyms and they are free. Obama will often frequent the gym on the Marine Corps base during his vacations in Hawaii and I think it would be great if every American had access to a free gym. I can anticipate those saying this is Socialism but it is far from it. There are dietary guidelines set forth by the government. They stipulate the amount of meat, grain, etc that people should eat and the government also says we need so many minutes of physical activity a day. The people in the green food movement say that this mandates how we should eat; that argument is logical, in my opinion. A gym would create construction jobs, personal trainers and so forth. It is healthy and the only caveat is that some may become injured due to the equipment, overexertion or another cause. I would propose this to Obama, Congress, and whoever else who supposedly listens. I think that they listen a lot closer during elections. I have written to all of them because without a job, there is not much else to do and the only response that I received did not answer my question. I was upset. I had believed in the democratic system. I eschew politics, religion and other issues in order to make and maintain friends. I know that sounds apathetic but it is not because I chose to instead write directly to those members of Congress and the President, who could make amendments but ignored me. I hope to one day have public gyms become as prevalent as the public libraries. I think that there also has to be some way to compensate the stay-at-home parent. Parents have a very hard job: raising children. I had seen a calculation done of how much a stay-at-home parent would receive annually if he were compensated for his hours at work and it was a substantial amount of money. Granted, it is not a traditional job, or something that is revered but a stay-at-home parent is an asset. I was a latch key kid. My parent was unable to spend time with me because he was a widower with a full-time job in the military. I used to admire those kids that were able to have their parent on the field trip or other events where the parent could attend. I think it is great if a child is able to have the support and time with the parent. If anyone would like to elaborate, please leave a comment. Sorry for always having such anecdotal/stream of consciousness posts. I hope they will become better organized and more logical in the future.  

The American education system is worthy of an elegy

At a time like this, I wish that I could write poetry. I write words that rhyme but I can't follow iambic pentameter or any of the formal poetry writing styles. As anyone watching the news knows, Detroit has closed down close to half of their public schools. I cannot fathom what the teachers and students are doing to compensate for having their rights taken away from them. Despite this blog's name, I do believe that public education is a right. My issue is with higher education. I believe that it is too expensive and does not give everyone the advantage of a better paying job and the so-called success that they sell to you in school and on the television. For instance, my parent had a Master's degree upon entering the military. Usually, this would have secured him a position as an officer; however, he was not offered that opportunity-- neither am I when I speak with recruiters-- and did not "pick up" officer despite putting in the application for the officer program. I can barely write a complete sentence, but I was able to make the Dean's List and graduate with that fancy title for having good grades--that is a problem. Grammar is being compromised by text and other forms of communication and at the college and university level it should not be tolerated. Grammar does not always compromise comprehension, but there have been lawsuits over something as simple as a comma changing the entire meaning of a contract and that is why I stress proper grammar (and continue to lack it). I go astray but this is the point I wanted to make today: teachers are professionals; they should not be regarded as baby-sitters and other forms of day care. A woman mentioned that it was a half day at her daughter's school and that it was inconvenient because she needed to have someone watch her child. I often hear that--during summer and other breaks because parents have to find someone to care for their child while they are at work. However, I find it personally degrading. I had planned on being a teacher. I paid to be a teacher. I would love to be a teacher. Teaching is a profession that is truly based on gratitude. I knew that teaching would not make me rich, but yet--despite protestations of "you are smart enough to be a doctor"--I chose to be a teacher. Now, I am an unemployed teacher and regarded as a baby-sitter. It is disheartening that teachers are disrespected with low pay and the lack of prestige that some professions are automatically granted. A fat cat CEO can sit on top of hundreds of millions and be respected and successful--without education beyond high school. A teacher can have a degree, license and any other certification available and still be treated as a baby-sitter. That is irony.

Civil Unions

The next legal hurdle that the U.S. Supreme Court must make revisions to in order for our country to progress is civil unions. This is not simply about homosexuals having the right to enter into marriage. This is also about other relationships where one party wishes to give their benefits to an heir. For example, my parent was in the military for 20 years. To the best of my knowledge, if that parent wished to bequeath me any of their benefits, it would not be permissible. However, as the military so often does, the spouse is automatically granted access to such benefits. Spouses divorce, but children are forever. That is unfair. My parent has told me that they had wanted to give me the G.I. Bill but at the time, and even today, was unable to do so. I have to research this because there have been a lot of revisions to the G.I. Bill and other benefits but that is what I was told the last time that I questioned it. Someone who has earned benefits or other assets should have the right to distribute them as they please. I would also like to see homosexuals with the right to enter these unions because I want everyone to have the same rights as me. I would also like it so that someone who has earned something can have true ownership over its legacy. With the Middle Class in a crisis, we must adjust the laws so that the Middle Class does not disappear entirely. The Constitution was written ambiguously in order for change. I hope that President Obama considers such changes.   

English as an official language? Not in America.

This is a very sensitive topic. I have studied several languages in elementary school, high school and college. I continue to study language because communication is the number one tool of diplomacy. I am a Navy brat and I was also a Third Culture Kid. I studied Spanish in Spain because that is where I lived as a child. My school was a Department of Defense Dependent School, more commonly known by the acronym--as so many military things are: DODDS. I believe that the DODDS school system has some of the best ideas for making children and teens global citizens. Civics is embedded in the curriculum. We had a class called "Host Nation" and it exposed us to the language and culture of Spain. I became bilingual very quickly. I continued with Spanish and went on to learn French and Japanese. I was excited to see a job advertisement from Delta Airlines and was simultaneously appalled when I read that in order to apply, one must be bilingual in languages that have different writing systems such as Japanese, which alone has three, and a language such as Swedish, which has never been offered at my high schools or colleges. At a time when so many Americans are looking for work, is this fair? Who is most likely to speak these languages? I have had advantages in life because I lived overseas for the majority of my life, but some Americans do not have passports or an education system with such advantages. I have retained that ad from Delta and I have written an entire essay on why it should be revised. Large companies can send applicants to language schools--as the US military and other institutions do. English is arguably the most common language in the United States and it angers me that I would be required--emphasis on required--to speak another language in order to work in the U.S. Official languages are of a huge significance because some languages such as Hawaiian and Native American languages, were once illegal in the U.S. In order to preserve their cultures, the Constitution for the state of Hawaii has included Hawaiian as its official language. Writing is legally binding and such arguments should, I believe, be presented at the state and federal levels for reform. The Middle Class is dwindling in America. Corporations with large profits should not be exempt from hiring monolingual English speakers. 

Update: Don't Ask, Don't Tell

There will be a television show that documents military members surprising family members by returning from deployment and having it captured on camera. Deployments are usually long and information is given on a needs-to-know basis, therefore, it is very surprising when a military member returns without any formal notice. On the preview for the show, there was a man who looked very young. He was in uniform and he entered what appeared to be a high school classroom. The teenager that he was surprising did not look that far in age from the father, brother, or friend who was surprising him. I was proud to hear my friend ask, "Is that his boyfriend?" Through tears from my laughter, I explained that it was probably either a friend or a relative--perhaps a male who had become a father as a teen. Then, she said, "because they ended 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell', so it's legal now, right?" I do believe it is legal now. Progress is slowly making its way into the mainstream and I hope that it continues with civil unions and other rights that are being denied to homosexuals. I feel strongly about homosexuals--despite my so-called "orientation" as a heterosexual--because there are studies that suggest that homosexuality is linked to a gene. Supposedly, on the right hand of homosexual males, their ring finger is longer than the middle finger. Also, it is suggested that the male homosexual has additional estrogen from his mother. I find it very interesting that science can be used for an explanation. I would not stigmatize homosexuals for any reason. They do not need justification, either, but I am proud that our service members can choose to speak of their significant other as they please--gender aside.

Don't Ask, Don't Tell

There was a temporary victory for equality. I awoke to the news that a court had ruled against the Don't Ask, Don't Tell policy. Growing up around military, this was significant to me in a way that most would not understand. I support gay rights and I do believe that Don't Ask, Don't Tell promotes inequality and is a direct violation of privacy; privacy meaning that employers should not be concerned with the sexual practices of an individual in the same manner that it is illegal to ask whether a woman is pregnant; however, I believe that Don't Ask, Don't Tell provides a loophole for those heterosexuals in the military who would like to be discharged. 

Don't Ask, Don't Tell is a homophobic policy that violates privacy and promotes the stigmatization of homosexuals. However, it is also a loophole for those serving who would like to receive a discharge from the military. I want to have a volunteer military that is proud to serve. It is disheartening that homosexuals are not allowed to have the same rights as heterosexuals serving in the military. It is also wrong for heterosexuals to use homosexuality as a means of terminating their service. I do believe that Don't Ask, Don't Tell should remain the policy of the U.S. Military but not to keep homosexuals out--that aspect of the policy is blatant discrimination and needs to be erased, but to keep those who are not serving with loyalty and pride a shameful way of getting out.